BRITAIN'S FOOD

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 83, 7 April 1936, Page 11

BRITAIN'S FOOD

SUPPLIES IN WAR-TIME

FEELING OF UNEASINESS

"TIMES"' SUGGESTION

United Press Association—By Electric Tele-

graph—Copyright.

LONDON, April 6.

"The Times," in a leader drawing attention to uneasiness regarding supplies of food in the event of war, points out that the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, recently emphasised that British food production had increased by 14 per cent, since the advent of the National Government. "The Times," nevertheless, - contends, that the difficulty cannot be removed by increased home production, as British self-sufficiency would create disastrous repercussions in international trade, especially with the Dominions, concerning meat, wheat, butter, and cheese.

It is pointed out that the most obvious precaution is to ensure that the Navy and Air Force are strong enough to police the sea routes. Nevertheless, while Mr. Walter Bunciman, President of the Board of Trade, recently stated that storage existed in ports for 1,500,000 tons of wheat, roughly ten weeks' supply, it is estimated that there are only ten days' supply, yet Canadian farmers are being ruined by depression prices due to a surplus and British tramp steamers are idle. "The Times'V recalls that Britain bought Australian wheat in war-time but was unable to transport it, and urges, despite objection to the Government buying and holding commodities that the possibility of inducing the Canadian Wheat Board to transfer part of its surplus to Britain should be examined. Similar arguments could apply to other essentials.